Glimmer features several different types of fairies.

Most of us when we think of Faeries think of Orlando Bloom as Legolas in the Lord of the Rings movies. J.R.R. Tolkien, the author, described his elves as fair, tall, and enigmatic. The term faeries and elves is interchangeable in earlier folk tales. Even creatures such as gnomes, leprechauns, banshees, brownies, pixies, even water spirits fell under the heading of faeries. Tinkerbell or the Blue Fairy should not be your end all when it comes to faeries. Just as there are many types of faeries, there are also varying beliefs about them too.

There are several origin stories about faeries, but the most accepted is The Fair Folk were the children of the Celtic Goddess Danu. In prehistory, the faeries walked the Earth openly and lived in harmony with nature. Their major home was Ireland, although sightings and stories about the Fair Folk occur all over.

Faeries welcomed people and taught them agriculture. The early people and faeries intermarried and had children. The skills faeries naturally possessed caused difficulties in the half-human, half-fey offspring. The ability to read thoughts often caused fights and fostered jealousy. The greedy feuding among humans caused the faeries to break communication. Faeries can’t live with disharmony or pettiness.

You may remember a scene in Tolkien’s books, where all the elves are boarding a ship to sail far away because the land had become so full of selfishness and treachery. Danu’s children reverted to the earth as opposed to sailing to another land. Their energy exists in plants, animals, even rocks. This is one reason Druids show respect for every natural object.
Faeries often communicate with us, but not the way people think. Often people have accused faeries of tying knots in hair, spilling milk, or even stealing children. These stories sprang up after the faeries left and didn’t help the people, resulting in diminished crop yields. The magic and music that were part of the elves went with them too. Angry at their desertion and not understanding the reason for it, people made up negative tales. It was their version of I didn’t want to be your friend, anyhow.

Children in their innocence are much more capable of seeing faeries than adults with their skepticism. Contemporary seekers have attempted to reach the faeries by doing what they believe will please them from growing flowers to feeding the birds. Anything that helps nature is a boom to the faeries from recycling to installing a water barrel. Faeries can and do take many forms such as a rabbit or a bird. If you have a wild bird or rabbit in your yard that shows no fear of you and continues to visit, it could be a magical visit. Glowing points or orbs of light could also be faerie visitors. The sensation of feeling as if you’ve run into a spider web when there is none outside is an example of field fairies brushing your cheeks, which is a lucky sign. If they choose faeries can take human shape, perhaps even looking a bit like Orlando Bloom.
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People can ask faeries for favors within realistic realms, but always leave them a gift in return. Does it work? It never rains in the summer in my part of the country, I worried about going on vacation and having all my flowers, vegetables, and herb gardens die. I asked the faeries to look after them and water them. Flash flood warnings along with well-watered plants greeted us on our return. Was it coincidence? I don’t know, but I did leave out a small dish of honey for the faeries.
If you’re curious about faeries, I recommend reading Enchantment of The Faerie Realm by Ted Andrews and A Witch’s Guide to Fairy Folks by Edain McCoy. These are both non-fiction books. If you’d like fiction and fairies, then read Faerie Lights: Glimmer.